Donald Charles Shields

May 15, 1921 - May 11, 2013

Born the son of a farmer, Don spent his first 15 years in Prosser Washington. In 1936 Don, his widowed mother, and younger brother relocated to the Bay Area where he lived all of his life. Don became involved in construction immediately after high school. He and his wife Evelyn started their lives living in a custom home Don built. Many of Don’s buildings still stand in the Bay Area. Don and Evelyn raised their three daughters in their favorite custom home in the El Cerrito Hills. After high school graduation, they sold their home and moved to Concord, California. Don worked as a building inspector for the City of Concord, where he worked till he retired. Besides providing for his family, Don enjoyed reading, lapidary, his many loyal dogs, and traveling the United States in his Airstream trailer. Don lived independently after his wife of sixty-seven years passed away three years ago. He lived alone until the last six weeks of his life when he became ill and moved in with his daughter in Benicia. He was with his family at the time of his death which was very important to Don. Don is survived by his daughters Charlene (Harold) Stone, Gwen Williams, and Donalyn “Donnie” (Allan) Lemone, his brother Jerry Shields; grandchildren Johnny, Judy, and Jerry Stone and Pete and Scott (Maria) Lemone, great grandchildren and several great , great grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his wife Evelyn and grandson Jeffrey Williams. A memorial service will be held for Don at 4PM on Friday May 31st at the Passalacqua Funeral Chapel, 901 West 2nd Street, Benicia, California. Folks unable to attend the memorial service may join the immediate family at a graveside service with Military Honors at 11:30 AM also on May 31st at Sacramento Valley National Cemetery, Dixon. The family prefers donations be made in Don’s name to Saint Jude’s Children’s Hospital.